Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city in Virginia entirely surrounded by Frederick County, and also serves as the county seat, despite the two being separate jurisdictions. Despite that, the city and county's guilds are unified by state law. The population of the city is 26,203. The city is home to Shenandoah University and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Major roads Interstate 81 US Route 11 US Route 50 US Route 522 Virginia State Route 7 Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 67.54% White (17,697) 16.38% Hispanic or Latino (4,292) 11.63% Black or African American (3,047) 4.45% Other (1,167) 10.7% (2,803) of Winchester residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Winchester has average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 18 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 1.65 murders a year. Fun facts * Winchester and the surrounding area were the site of numerous battles during the American Civil War, as the Confederate and Union armies strove to control that portion of the Shenandoah Valley. Seven major battlefields are in the original Frederick County: ** Within the city of Winchester: *** The First Battle of Kernstown, March 23, 1862 *** The First Battle of Winchester, May 25, 1862 *** The Second Battle of Winchester, June 13–15, 1863 *** The Second Battle of Kernstown, July 24, 1864 *** The Third Battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864 ** Near the city of Winchester: *** The Battle of Cool Spring at Snicker's Gap, July 17–18, 1864 *** The Battle of Berryville, September 3–4, 1864 *** The Battle of Belle Grove (or Cedar Creek), October 19, 1864 ** Winchester was a key strategic position for the Confederate States Army during the war. It was an important operational objective in Gen Joseph E. Johnston's and Col Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's defense of the Shenandoah Valley in 1861, Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862, the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, and the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Including minor cavalry raids and patrols, and occasional reconnaissances, historians claim that Winchester changed hands as many as 72 times and 13 times in one day. Battles raged along Main Street at points in the war. Union General Sheridan and Stonewall Jackson located their headquarters just one block apart at times. ** At the north end of the lower Shenandoah Valley, Winchester was a base of operations for major Confederate invasions into the Northern United States. At times the attacks threatened the capital of Washington, D.C. The town served as a central point for troops conducting major raids against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and turnpike and telegraph paths along those routes and the Potomac River Valley. For instance, in 1861, Stonewall Jackson removed 56 locomotives and over 300 railroad cars, along with miles of track, from the B&O Railroad. His attack closed down the B&O's main line for ten months. Much of the effort to transport this equipment by horse and carriage centered in Winchester. * Winchester was the first city south of the Potomac River to install electric light. * Winchester is the location of the bi-annual N-SSA national competition keeping the tradition of Civil War era firearms alive. A three-block section of downtown Loudoun Street was closed to vehicular traffic in the 1970s and is a popular pedestrian area featuring many boutiques and cafes. The street was repaved with brick and landscaped in 2013. Apple Blossom Mall opened in 1982. In 1983, a tire dump in the area containing over seven million tires burned for nine months, polluting nearby areas with lead and arsenic. The location was cleaned up as a Superfund project from 1983 to 2002. * Winchester is the location of the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, which has existed since 1924. It is usually held during the first weekend in May. The festival includes a carnival, firework show, parades, several dances and parties, and a coronation where the Apple Blossom Queen is crowned. Local school systems and many businesses close the Friday of Apple Blossom weekend. ** Winchester has more than 20 different "artistic" apples that are made of various materials including wood, rubber pipe, plaster, and paint. These apples were created in 2005 by occupants of the city, and were placed at a specific location at the artists' request after being auctioned off. For example, a bright red apple with a large stethoscope attached to it was placed beside a much-used entrance to the Winchester Medical Center. * A satellite campus of the Northern Virginia Battle Academy is located in Winchester. * Former Virginia Senator Harry F. Byrd Jr. was born in Winchester. * Winchester has a decent amount of amenities to offer. It has a few contest halls and showcase theaters, dollar stores, Winchester Regional Airport, Apple Blossom Mall, Apple Blossom Corners and a few other shopping centers, plenty of local restaurants and businesses, Winchester BMX, Jim Barnett Park, a country club, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, a few sports complexes, some public battle fields, Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, Target, Lowe's Home Improvement, Nintendo World, Goodwill, Tractor Supply Co., plenty of hotels/motels, plenty of fast food and chain restaurants, Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, Peru's Chicken Restaurant, some auto parts places and car dealerships, a bowling alley, Solstice Apparel, Martin's Food, Roma Old Town Wood Fired Pizzeria, Hopscotch Coffee & Records, Papermill Place, Anthony's Pizza, Sona Restaurant, and a few other things. Category:Virginia Independent Cities